18 MPS MEET, DEMAND SITTING ON THURSDAY

LOBAMBA – In a rather unusual meeting held in the House of Assembly yesterday, about 18 Members of Parliament (MPs) resolved that a committee of three legislators visit the office of the Speaker to demand that he calls a sitting on Thursday.

This was after the sitting which was scheduled to take place yesterday at 2:30pm was called off at the 11th hour by the Speaker, Petros Mavimbela’s Office, citing that there was a security threat. According to the MPs who included the day’s Chairperson, Nkilongo MP Timothy Myeni, the message that the sitting was cancelled was only sent after 11am when most had left their homes, with some only seeing the texts after they had reached Parliament.

As a result, the group of MPs decided to have a meeting in the chamber in order to map a way forward on how to handle the manner in which they thought they were being treated by the Speaker. As per during any normal House sitting, the MPs first had their lunch in the Parliament canteen and at 2:30pm then started walking towards the House.

Audit

Upon entering the chamber, the MPs found that the House was being used by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) along with officials from the Ministry of Education and Training, which was there to respond to the audit queries.  The MPs, in particular Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo and Motshane MP Robert Magongo, headed towards the seats they normally occupy when the House sits. This left the ministry’s officials confused as to what to do and most started collecting their documents. The MPs said the officials were allowed to sit in as it was not a House sitting, however, a majority of them left the chamber.

MP Khumalo was seen having a conversation with the PAC Chairperson and Gege MP Musa Kunene and eventually all the officials left, followed by some members of the PAC after it had been reported that another venue for the latter to continue had been secured. It was at this point that MP Myeni addressed the gathering, stating that the MPs had travelled from afar after being called by the Speaker only for the sitting to be cancelled at the last minute.  “I am not the most senior here, but we were informed by the Speaker on Sunday that there was a sitting and I only received the cancelation message when I was parking here,” he said. 

MP Myeni said the MPs must decide what action should be taken when the Speaker called honourables to the House given all the uncertainty in the country, only to cancel. “The current situation needs the MPs to address it as we were elected by the people and they need us to show them the way,” he said. Myeni said it was shocking that other stakeholders were meeting yet such a critical body like the House of Assembly was not being allowed to meet to represent the masses. “Sifuna kukhuluma, but indlu ibonakalisa kutsi vele iyavinjwa,” he said in vernacular, which translated means “We want to speak, but the house is showing us it is obstructed. He wondered what they were now supposed to do which was why they were having an informal caucus.

Disturbing

Meanwhile, the Motshane MP said what was happening in Parliament was quite disturbing.  He said the PAC was currently sitting and wondered if they were not in danger. He said the MPs had travelled far for the sitting to be cancelled late.  MP Magongo said the electorate was blaming them for being quiet. “Mavimbela must tell us that he is no longer coping in the position we voted him into and resign,” he said. Gilgal MP Sandla Fakudze said he had left his Constituency at 11am so that he could be in time for the sitting and, therefore, he could not be expected to be driving and reading messages informing him of cancelled sittings.  He wondered what the security reasons were because Parliament had a lot of police officers in sight who were more that the MPs.
“I have noticed that when we are here, there is sometimes more than 80 officers,” he said.

MP Fakudze said if they really cared about the MPs, they would have considered providing them with security back home because as is, they were getting threats because they were accused of being silent.  “The people want to hear us speak, but you let us travel all this way for nothing. It’s time we stop that,” he said.
Several other MPs made submissions all complaining about the short notice given by the Speaker and also upset that it was communicated on his behalf by the Principal Committee Clerk, Mpendulo Ngcamphalala.

The MPs then elected Mkhiweni MP Ndlelayekuphila Masuku, Gilgal MP and the Nkilongo MP with the view to secure a meeting with the Speaker in order to have a House sitting on Thursday. Others had been of the view that members of the Sessional Committee meet with the Speaker while some had suggested a meeting for dialogue with the King.  The message that irked the MPs read: “The Office of the Honourable Speaker hereby informs Honourable Members of the House of Assembly that, due to security concerns, the House sitting which was scheduled for today (Monday, October 18, 2021) at 14h30, has been postponed to a future date which will be communicated in due course.”

It was stated that any inconvenience caused by the communication was deeply regretted. Meanwhile, Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini was in the canteen, but somehow did not attend the meeting.

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